The" Oklahoma Eagle": a Study of Black Press Survival

Home , New York Herald Tribune, Oklahoma Eagle, Tulsa World

DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 270 809 CS 209 908 AUTHOR Brown, Karen F. TITLE The "Oklahoma Eagle": A Study of Black Press Survival. PUB DATE Aug 86 NOTE 18p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (69th, Norman, OK, August 3-6, 1986). PUB TYPE Speeches/Conference Papers (150)-- Reports - Descriptive (141)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Black Businesses; Black Employment; Journalism; *Newspapers; Publications; Publishing Industry IDENTIFIERS Family Owned Businesses; *Goodwin (Edward Lawrence); Journalism History; News Reporters; *Oklahoma Eagle

ABSTRACT Analyzing the history of the "Oklahoma Eagle" provides insight into the problems and the opportunities involved in operating a black newspaper and reveals the factors re..ponsible for the paper's longevity. The paper has been owned and operated by members of the Edward Lawrence Goodwin family since 1938 and has been staffed by excellent journalists over thecourse of the years. A review of copies of the "Eagle" from the last 9years reveals a number of consistencies. The paper was normally neat and well edited, and contained many ads, particularly in the 1970s. Generally, the paper provided significant news. A member of the Goodwin family listed five factors that have enabled the paper to survive: (1) quality staff; (2) advertising success; (3) size of community; (4) sound relations with the community; and (5) family commitment. Eight years have passed since the death of E. L. Goodwin, and the family-owners have undertaken changes, but they have yetto find solid management footing. The problems of the "Eagle"are typical of the Black press today, and other papers may benefit from the "Eagle's" experience. (DF)

*********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best thatcan be made * * from the original document. * *****************************************************;:***************** a .t

Minorities and Communications Division AEJMC

"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS U$DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educations! Research and improvement MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY O EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) )(pis document bat been reproduced as CO eceived from the person or organization originating it Karen F. Brown CO r Minor changes have been made to improve N- reproduction quality TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES CV Points of vie* or opinions stated In this docu ment do not necessarily represent oflicia! INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)" C) OERI position or policy UJ The alehame r fogle A Study of Black Press Survival

Karen F. Brown

Department of Mass Communications University of South Florida Tampa, Florida

The author expresses appreciation to Jeanne Goodwin Arradondo, who provided information for this study from her private collection.

BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2 TheOklahoma Eagle:A Study of Black Press Survival

When Thursday comes to Tulsa, so does theOklahoma EagleIt has been that way for about 68 years The news has changed, but for readers in Tulsa, and subscribers throughout the nation and world, theEaglehas remained a source of news, gossip, social and church notes, sports reports, editorials, and reader response in letters. Since a 1921 race riot topics in the Eaglehave changed from rebuilding to considering the possibility of integration, adjusting to a mood of black radicalism, and maintaining a sense of community while urban renewal scattered black residents. While the black press has appeared to be near extinction for three decades, local papers, such as the Eagle, have quietly carried on. Yet the title of a 1950 article, "The Vanishing Negro Pressl," symbolizes the dominant theme of discussion on the black press in recent years. Indeed, the facts and figures have been grim.In addition to problems faced by all newspapers, such as competition from the electronic media and the increasing cost of paper and other supplies, the black press nas had other jolts. A decline in readers and loss of talented staff members came in the early 60's as civil rights gains led to greater coverage of black news in white daill2S, and the hiring of some personnel from the black press.2 Later in the decade, the militant press caused a revival in publishing,3 but the resurgence ceased by the mid-70's. Recent indications suggest that the black press is showing some resilience. A 1984 U.S. News and World Report 4 article said that the ethnic press in the nation is growing, with the black press being the largest group. With 161 newspapers and a total circulation of about 4.5 million it was more than five times larger than the second largest group. This article and another5 referred to a five-year study by Dr. James Tinney of Howard University, in which he indicated that there are more black papers than are commonly reported. He estimated that there are over 320 black papers. Although reporting methods by differing sources cause some variance, an indication of the number of black newspapers is provided in Table 1.

1Wolseley, Roland E. The Vanishing Negro Press," Negro Digest, December 1950, 9,2. 2"Victims of Negro Progress," Newsweek. August 26, 1963. 3"Playing It Cool," Time, July 28,1967. 4Thornton, Jeannye with Melody Harris, "Why EthnicPress is Alive and Growing," U.S. News and World Report, October 29,1984, 97, 79-80. 5"Prof's Research Uncovers Many Black Newspapers," Jet, April 8,1985, 68, p.24.

BEST COPY AVAILABLE TABLE 1Black Newspaper Frequencies by Years

Year Number of Papers Source

1939 152 Ayer6 1958 170 Ayer 1962 131 Ayer 1966 170 Ayer 1969 158 Ayer 1971 225 Ayer 1972 208 La Brie 7 1985 164 Ed. & Pub. 8

This research is a descriptive study of black press survival as presented through a case study of one newspaper. The Oh7ehoine fegle represents the type of weekly newspaper that serves a community, even a region, while sometimes going uncounted nationally. Although it is listed in the 1935 Editor and Publisher Yearbook, it is not listed in Ayer's American Newspaper Annual and Directory after 1983. The guiding research question is: What are the lectors that have allowed the Oklahoma fegleto survive? The method of historical research was used to look at the paper's past. In addition to a review of the literature on the paper and a study of back issues, interviews were conducted with many who have been involved with the paper. The literature on the black press includes little research on the business of the press. The literature could be divided into six categories. Authors such as Brooks 9and Oak10 surveyed the black press by focusing on

6Ayer and Son's Directory, Philadelphia, years as indicated. 7LaBrie, Henry G. III, ed.11te.Blacl, Press m America: A Guide (Third Edition) Harvard University, 1973. 8Editor and Publisher Yearbook. New York, 1985. 9Brooks, Maxwell R. The Negro Press Reexamined, Boston: Christopher Press, 1959. 100ak, Vishnu V. The Negro Newspaper. Westport, Conn.: Negro Universities Press, 1948. 101 COPY AVAILABLE 4 3

BEST COPY AVAILABLE several of the largest newspapers Dann,11 Penn,12 and Detweiler13 looks,d at the general black press, but their works were on particular periods or they are dated. Wolseley14 and LaBne15 present more recent studies of the press. Regional and state studies have been undertaken to increase the information on the numbers and histories of papers in particular areas. These include dissertations by Pride,16 Slaven,17 Grouse,18 and Brown,19 theses by Moten20 and Moses,21 and a book by Suggs.22 Biographies and autobiographies of leading journalists of black newspapers offer insight on the history and operations of the black press.

11Dann, Martin E. The Black Press, 1827-1890. New York: Columbia University Press, 1971. 12Penn, I. Garland. Afro-American Press and Its Editors New York: Arno Press, 1969, originally 1891. 13Detweiler, Frederick G. The Negro Press in the United States, College Park, Maryland: McGrath, 1922. 14Wolseley, Roland R. The Black Press, USA. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press, 1971. 15LaBrie, Henry G. III,ed. Perspectives on the Black Press:1974. Kennebunkport, Maine: Mercer House Press, 1974. 16Pride, Armistead S.A Register and History of Negro Newspapers in the United States," (dissertation, Northwestern University, 1950). 17Slaven, George Everett. "A History of the Missouri Negro Press," (dissertation, University of Missouri, 1969). 18Grouse, Charles William. "Black Newspapers in Texas 1866 1970," (dissertation, The University of Texas at Austin, 1972). 19Brown, Karen F. "The Black Press of Tennessee: 1865 1980," (dissertation, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, 1982). 20Moten, Rashey B. "The Negro Press of Kansas," (thesis, University of Kansas, 1938). 21Moses, Bernadine. "An Historical and Analytical View of Black Newspapers in North Carolina," (thesis, University of North Carolina, 1976). 22Suggs, Henry Lewis, ed. The Black Press in the South, 1865-1979. Westport, Conn. and London: Greenwood Press, 1983. 4

These include works by Duster,'? Fox,24 Thornbrough25 and Ott ley 26 Finally there are also studies of particular issues, newspapers or news organizations. Ammons. Dimmick and Pilotta's27 study of crime ne%,.vs reporting, and Seeman's28 look at the Chicago Defender are examples Several works in the literature touch on the business of the black press, but there is not much in-depth research. Oak29 made an effort at studying the business of the press when he devoted the first volume of a series of studies of the black press to "the Negro Entrepreneur." This study of the Oklahoma Eagleis to take another look et the problems and the opportunities involved in operating a black newspaper. It is an effort to name the factors that have caused one long-lasting paper to survive.

History

The roots of the 01 0/V177d Eagle go back to the Daily Tulsa Star, founded in 1913 by Andrew J. Smitherman.30 Smitherman was a civil rights leader, attorneu and Justice of the Peace. He built the paper to a respected publication, but in 1921, his Star disappeared. On June 1, 1921 a 19-year-old black man was arrested for assualting a white ,,,yornanIt was later reported that he stumbled and accidentally .:.tepped on her foot.31 Armed blacks and whites confronted each other at the

23Duster, Alfreda M. ed. Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B. Wells. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1970. 24Fox, Stephen R. The Guardian of Boston: William Monroe Trotter. New York: Atheneum, 1970. 25Thornbrough, Emma Lou. T. Thomas Fortune: Militant Black Journalist. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1972. 26Ottley, Rol. The Lonely Warrior: The Life and Times of Robert S. Abbott. Chicago: Henry Regnery Co., 1955. 27Ammons, Linda; Dimmick, John, and Pilotta, Joseph. "Crime News Reporting in a Black Weekly," Journalism Ouarterly, 59: 310-13 (1982). 28Seeman, Howard L., "Keeping the Gates at the Chicago Defender," Journalism Quarterly, 48: 275-78 (1971). 290ak, Ibid. 30Troupe, Marilyn Ilay. "The Voice of the People," unpublished research report, Oklahoma State University, November 25, 1976; also printed in the ./7/..1e/iorna Eagle 's 60th anniversary issue, November 2, 1976, p.C5. 31Halliburton, R. Jr., The Tulsa Race War of 1921. San Francisco: Northeastern 0,:lahoma State University, 1975, p.6.

6 BEST COPY AVAILABLE 5

courthouse and a race war followed By the time the National Guard restored order at least 21 blacks and nine whites were dead. 32 The death toll WU probably much higher when others are included, such as those who went out of town for treatment and babies who died from premature birth.In addition to the human losses, the black community, which had included a prosperous business district, was destroyed. Halliburton wrote:

Between thirty and forty blocks had succumbed to the torch. No less than (1,150) residences had been destroyed. Another (314) homes had been looted but not burned. Fire, pillage and vandalism had obliterated the black business section. Property losses can only be estimated, but were probably between (2 and 3) million dollars.33

Smitherman's paper was destroyed,as was his home.Like many others, he left Tulsa. He went to Buffalo, N.Y. and started the Empire Star which lasted until 1961, shortly after his death.34 Troupe reports that after the riot, Theodore Baughman, a black businessman, purchased the salvaged equipment of the Star from Scni thermion, and started a newspaper the he named the aiehotne Earl (The Eagiestaf f celebrated the papers 60th anniversary in 1978 and claims 1918 as its founding date. The year of founding was first listed in Ayer as 1922, then 1920.) **Baughman supplemented his income by operating a sub- post office" 35 and by selling almanacs and out-or-state black newspapers. The fogiewas not a financial success.After trying to continue the paper, Baughman sold it in 1936. He died a year later. Although the purchase was disputed, by 1930 the feglewas owned and operated by Edward Lawrence Goodwin. Goodwin's parents moved from Water Valley, Mississippi to Tulsa when he was seven years old. His father, James Henri Goodwin, prospered as a mortician and through the purchase of real estate.36 Ed Goodwin finished high school in Tulsa, then attended Fisk University, where he earned the bachelors degree in business. He returned to Tulsa with his wife, Jeanne, and she became a teacher; he went into

32Halliburton, Ibid., p.19. Also Franklin, John Hope. From Slavery to Freedom (Fifth Edition). New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980, p.349. 33Halliburton, Ibid. pp.19-20. 34Interview with Mrs. Jeanne Goodwin, March 7, 1986. 35Troupe, op cit. 36lnterviewwith Jeanne Goodwin Arradondo, March 18, 1986.

BEST COPY AVAILABLE 6

business Goodwin, who had operated a business in St. Louis, opened a shoe shine parlor in Tulsa that enabled him to get to know some of the white businessmen.His creative and generally successful business ventures that followed included fight promotions, real estate, bookmaking, and liquor sales. In later years he worked for the state as "business manager of the Negro Institutions (the hospital for the insane, training school for girls, and the home for the deaf, blinc and orphaned) at Taft."37 In the 1950's when the University of Tulsa was desegregated, Goodwin entered law school. He was admitted to the Oklahoma bar in 1960 at the age of 58. Although involved in various ventures, Goodwin approached the Eape as a business, as well as a platform for expression. He sought qualified personnel. In the early 1950s the paper was edited by Edgar T. Rouzeau, who was described as a former writer for the New York Herald Tribune. Edwyna Goodwin Anderson, the oldest of Ed and Jeanne Goodwin's eight children, recalled Rouzeau as an asset to the paper. She said he left because Goodwin refused to sell him part-ownership of the paper.38 Anderson also edited the paper before moving to Michigan, where she is now Public Service Commissioner. During the 1950's, several journalists who became orominent crossed the fegie'spath. Ethel Payne, who was the Wasmngton correspondent for Sengstacke newspapers, wrote that Goodwin, indirectly, assisted her in gaining the Washington job.In Perspectives of the Black Press, she wrote:

While I was on a swing through the South, I stopped in Tulsa, Okla. Ed. Goodwin, the publisher of the Oklahoma Eagle.. was looking for an editor. He thought I could fill the bill. After a long discussion, to show his good faith, he had Amos Hall, his attorney, draw up a contract giving me 49 per- cent of the stock and an agreement that as the paper grew I would share in a larger percentage of profits. It was en impressive looking document, complete with a gold sea1.39

Payne said she took the contract to Chicago and waved it in the face of Louis Martin, editor-in-chief of the Chicago Defender. Martin belittled the document and offered her the position of Washington correspondent for

37"History of Eagle Existence Citedon Eve of F. Opening," Oklahoma Eagle, April 14, 1966, p.2-A. 38Interview with Edwyna Goodwin Anderson, March 15, 1986. 39 loneliness in the Capital: The Black National Correspondent," by Ethel F,,,Iiie, in Lane, Henry G. III. Perspectives on the Black Press:1974. Kennebunkport, Maine: Mercer House Press, 1974, p.153.

8 BEST COPY AVAILABLE 7

six months.She stayed in the position over 20 years.Payne recalled Goodwin as a "dominating...well-meaning man" who wanted to build a respectable paper.40 About a year after Payne visited Tulsa, Thelma Thurston Gorham became editor of the Eagle. Gorham recalled her tenure as '1954-1955.41 While editing the paper, she wrote a series of front page editorials on integration, using the theme, "Are We Ready?" The series won en award from the National Council of Christians and Jews "and earned national recognition for the fag/e..42 Gorham's career in journalism has included serving as executive editor of the Oklahoma City Black Dispatch, serving on the faculty of the Langston University School of Journalism, working with the St. Louis grgL.and publishing scholarly articles. She is currently on the journalism faculty at Florida ABM University. In 1955 the fogiestaff also included a young man who had worked for the Associated Negro Press. Virgil Overbea wrote Goodwin seeking a job as managing editor. He said Goodwin had seen his work, and therefore hired him. But when he arrived, he discovered Gorham was already managing editor, and he became city editor. He said he stayed with the paper from July 1955 to September 1956. Later he worked for a daily paper in Winston Salem, N.C., becoming one of the first blacks on a southern daily. He was managing editor for the St. Louis Sentinnel and assistant make-up editor for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, before joining the Christian Science Monitor, where he is a staff writer.43 Before Overbea left the fogle, he and Gorham were joined by one of her former Langston students, Eddie L. Madison Jr. Madison had worked at the newspaper as a high school news boy. He continued working periodically while attending college and before entering the Army. After the service he returned to the paper and became editor. Madison recalled the paper had e headline that said, "News Boy Becomes Editor.'44 Madison was editor until 1959. He said he left because he wanted new challenges, and being editor of the Eagle was as high es a black person could go in journalism in Tulsa at that time. In the years that followed he worked as a reporter or editor of the Chicago Defender, Associated Negro Press and Chicago Tribune. Later he worked at the U.S. Department of Commerce Publications Office, and the Washington Evening Star Broadcasting Co.

40lnterview with Ethel Payne, February 14, 1986. 41Interview with Thelma Gorham, March 20, 1986. 42Carter, L. Edward. The Story of Oklahoma Newspapers. Oklahoma Heritage Associaton, Western Heritage Books, Inc., 1984, p.189. 43lnterview with Virgil Overbea,June 23, 1986. 44Interview with Eddie L. Madison Jr., March 20, 1986. 8

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

At least one other noted journalist was associated with the l_li.7,1,t; Carmen Fields, a Nieman Fellow at Harvard this year, recalled that her interest in journalism developed because Jeanne Goodwin offered her opportunities to write for the Eagie45 Jeanne Goodwin wrote a social column, "Scoopin' the Scoop!" for over 30 years. Sometimes when shetook vacations, she invited Fields, then a high school journalism student, to write the column for her. Fields has since been assistant city editor ofthe Boston Globe and reporter for WNEV-TV in Boston. Others have been influenced by and an asset to the Eagle For twenty years, 1951-197i, Ben Hill served as an editorial pageeditor for the Eagle He was recognized as "one of the city's leading and most knowledgeable ci tizens."46 Hill was pastor of Vernon AME Church for 20 yearsbefore being elected as a state representative from Tulsa. He was also national editorof the AME Church Review. a journel. Of Hill, Franklin wrote:

Hill...wrote a column for the Till Se Eagle He used this paper effectively to acquaint black people withsigi.ificent local and state issues as well as national developments that affected their lives. His careful reasoning often left both black militants and white racists uncomfortable. He advised whites to stop talking to themselves and to confront the reality of a racist society, and he scolded those blacks who demanded euuui opportunity without stressing equal responsi- bilities.47

During the 1970s and early 80s David Breed served as city editor, then managing editor. Breed is one of several white journalists whoworked for the paper. He recalled his tenure as a time of adjustment forthe Eagle as urban renewal caused residents all around the paper'splant to move miles away. He said the residential changes caused major circulation problems for the paper, and increased the use of mailedsubscriptions.48 During his time at the newspaper, the regiecontinued to win awards, including some from the National Council of Christian and'Jews, and the National Nev apaper Publishers Association. All the Goodwin children worked on the paper, starting as paper carriers when they were young. All three sonsserved as editor or publisher.

45lnterview with Carmen Fields, March 20, 1986. 46Frankliii, Jimmie Lewis. Journey Toward Hope. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1982, p.183. 47Franklin, Ibid., p.200. 48Interview with David Breed, March 22, 1986. R

E L Goodwin Jr., now managing editor, studied journalism and graphics at Vansas State Teacher's College and has been at the paper longer than any of his siblings. He was listed as editor in 1962, then vice president in 1966 E.L. said the paper was instrumental in bringing news of the civil rights sit- ins to the Tulsa area, and in gaining desegregation of employee facilities in major downtown Tulsa hotels. Five years after separate facilities had been outlawed, the hotels still maintained racially separate restrooms for employees, E.L. said. The Eagle ran photo essays to protest the practice, which was stopped.49 Robert Kerr Goodwin, the youngest son, was named publisher of the paper in 1973, when he was 24 years old. Robert is an ordained minister with a bachelor's degree in sociology from Orel Roberts University and a masters in Christian othics from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif. He is now co-publisher of the Eagleand director of public information for Prarie View A&M University in Texas. James 0. Goodwin, a Notre Dame University graduate rind a lawyer, was named president and legal counsel of the paper in 1978. He is now co- publisher and combines running the paper with practicing law. Of the daughters, Edwyna, who was previously mentioned, and Carlie Goodwin contributed most to the editorial section of the paper. Carlie wrote a column and helped organize.' the Muskogee and Lawton editions, prior to her death. Another daughter, Jeanne, wrote articles and a column; JoAnn contributed poems and provided administrative assistance, and Oneitha also provide administrative. The masthead of the paper, occasional articles about the staff and comments by the Goodwins reveal others who have worked at the paper for years and been important to the paper's operation. They include Alquita Goodwin, business manager; Lee Turpin,advertising manager; Bobby Green, production chief; and James (Red) Williams, plant assistant.

PRESENT STATUS

Reviewing copieS of the Eag/efrom over the last nine years, one can see certain constants. The newspaper was usually neat and well edited. Issues, particularly in the late 70's had many ads and several large ads. Generally the paper provided significant news. In July 1977 writer Polly Bowen produced en investigative story on prison reform.50 In December 1976 Casey Hamilton wrote a series on teenage pregnacies. A front page photo-stories package on April 16, 1981 combined the announcement of

49lnterview with E.L. Goodwin Jr., June 13, 1986. 506owen, Polly. Espe InvestigatesPrison System," 0,41,6hom8 fag/P, July 21, 1977, p.1.

11 BEST COPY AVAILABLE 10

boxer Joe Louis' death with James Goodwin's editorial on memories of Louis, and the need to remember black heroes. The newspaper regularly carried national and international news affecting blacks. Activities of the Nation& Newspaper Publishers Association, es well as news on groups such as the Urban League and NAACP were often culled. Much of the space on inside pages between front page news and sports, was occupied by social news, with an emphasis on local achievers, and church news. But there were also city pages, and an editorial page. And there was variety. Tabloids inserted in the paper included a local employment publication and "Dawn" magazine, a black news and entertainment publication The March 13, 1986 issue of the Eagle retains many of the qualities of the paper over the years. The top of page one features a photo-story package of a Tulsan who is part of the Ebony Fashion Fair. There is a lead story on voter registration for an upcoming city election and a sidebar warning that the ballot will be "l000ng." Page 2 is the "Second Front Page" and the right two columns of page 3 are dominated, as they have been for years, by "Scoopin' the Scoop!" As usual the column is signed in 24 point, bold type by Ann Brown, Jeanne Goodwin's pen name. The column is now usually written by Vivian Goodwin. Many of the rest of the full-sized, six column pages are dominated by announcements and ads, as well as some church, entertainment and sports news. One of the best written pieces is a page 13 column slugged "The party's over..:It is a regular column by a staffer who is recovering from alcoholism. This week's subtopic, "Vote for me!", is not an election bid, but a plea for voters to vote, because the writer cannot vote. Legal charges for driving under the influence of liquor have caused him to lose his right to vote. The issue ends on page 16 with the editorial page. The lead editorial is "How to win the black vote," and it is boxed with two related cartoons. The rest of the page includes a column by Marian Wright Edleman on fighting teen pregnancy, and other pieces related to the local election. In many ways the issue is similar to past issues, but things are changing at the Eagle. E.L. Goodwin,Sr. died in 1978 and the family.had to reorganize. Plans for continued management of the paper were altered because of illness, burn-out, and the lure of other careers. In the 1978 anniversary edition the editors boasted of having one of only 12 black newspapers that owned all its own publishing equipment.51 But now the presses have been sold, as the publishers decided the cost could not be

51"Eagle 'soars' 1 14 -page edition marks 60th birthdcy of black newspaper," Tulsa Tribune, November 3, 1978. justified.52 Thenewspaper plant now prod,.::es camera-ready copyIn the 1970*s the paper caned itself "the fastestgrowing black paper in the Southwest" with a circul;.,tion of 13,000Pecent reports '1st the circulation as 12,000. Family members and former employeesindicate that in recent years the paper has not been profitable But thepaper continues.

SURVIVAL

How has the Eagle managed to surviwaso long? "Barely," Jeanne Goodwin is quick to respond.She explained that it hasn't been easy. Thereare at least five factors that have contibuted to the paper's longevity. (1) Quality staffersThe newspaper seems to have had good staffers over the years. As previously indicated, somevery good journalists worked for the paper and helped establish itas a sound publication. Virgil Uverbea mentioned the conflict that publishers face:whether to devote resources to material or personnel. E.L. Goodwin purchasedhigh quality printing eouioment, but he did not neglect hiring goodstaffers. The paper has been awed by staffers yy1-10 have remained with thepaper (2) Advertising successShortly after E L Goodwin bought thepaper Lee Turpin joined the staffas advertising manager He is credited with bringing in the many ads that filled the.paper Large, frequent advertisers included Sears and localgrocery stores. One import advertiser for over 30 years came from an idea by Jeanne Goodwin. She r,onvincedFroug's, a Tulsa department store, o sponsor the ROCIAI cnitnn,"Scnordin the snoop!" For three decades the store paidfor 40 column inches "on the rail"of page three in each issue. In addition to havinga good advertising manager, thepaper had good relations witii the advertisers.Gorham suggested that the city'shistory of violence against blacks mighthave made advertisers a littlemere tolerant of a black newspaper. Shesaid it appeared that the fogiedidnot suffer the kind of direct pressureon advertisers by the white media that has hurt many other black papers. Robert Goodwin, however,is quick to note that the paper has not gotten the kind of support fromatwertisers that would match black econmic strength in thearea. (3) Size of community- With a black populatwri of about 45,0(.10 to 50,000, Tulsa offersa market large enough to attract advertisers, but not large enough to encourage competition, RobertGoodwin said. Although there have been attempts by other blackpapers over the years, none hds survived Ayer lists oniy one other blackpaper in Tulsa since the Esgiebegan publishing, and it lasted onlya few years.

52Interview with Robert K.Goodwin, March 14, 1986.

13 BEST COPY AVAILABLE BEST COPY AVAILABLE

(4) Sound relations with the communityThe paper claims to be the 'voice of the people" and the claim seems to be accepted. Robert Goodwin stressed the importance of the editors serving on boards and participating in community activities. He said that even during the tension of radical periods, community leaders could talk with the editors of the paper and know where they stood. The paper has seemed to provide a forum for various segments, including militants and white leaders. (5)Family CommitmentThroughout its 68 years, the paper has survived largely because the owners have been committed of it, and the Goodwins have had the resources to support it when it faltered. They have put into it time and money. Jeanne Goodwin noted that soon after the paper was purchased, her father-in-law, James H. Goodwin, assisted in financing it. He also helped manage it while E.L. Goodwin worked for the state.In the years that followed the children gave the paper time, while prospering in their careers. Jeanne Goodwin said:

After 1979 we had some reverses, but by the grace or God we have been able to survive. Were now beginning to see the light...It has been a family labor...just sheer drive... and maybe we've been too persistent. Maybe we should have let it go. But when you have a dream, you just keep on keeping on.

FUTURE

The cregipt' place in history is secure.It is listed in newspaper directories and other literature. Back. issues are stored on microfilm at Howard University and in the Oklahoma Archives. At E.L. Goodwin's death the Tulsa World, in an editorial, credited him with playing a large part in "racial progress in Tulsa and Oklahoma during the past 40 years." 53 Television station, KTEW, Channel 2, in Tulsa broadcast an editorial calling Goodwin "the great voice of moderation" and "publisher of one of the great black papers in the country."54 Goodwin was inducted, posthumously, in the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 1980. Now a drive is underway by a community group to restore the former black community by building a Greenwood Cultural Center. The center would feature the Mabel B. Little Heritage Museum and the E.L. Goodwin Auditorium. The past is secure, but what about the future of the felyM? The answer is simple for James 0. Goodwin. It will survive he said.It will survive under the ownership of the Goodwin family. At least three of E.L..

53"Edward L. Goodwin," Tulsa World, September 13, 1978,p. 6-A. 54Jack Morris, commentator, KTEW-TV, Channel 2, Tulsa (copy undated). 13

Goodwin's grandchildren have studied journalism, and one expresses an interest in continuiny the newspaper James Goodwin gave another reason why the paper will continue He said-

The paper will survive because of the purpose it serves. When I came to this position (as publisher) five years ago, I tried to find the purpose of the paper. The black press is still an alternative.It still talks about issues that are not addressed by metropolitan media. Its mission is as relevant today as in the days of Freedom's Journal.55

CONCLUSIONS

In 1948 Vishnu Oak wrote that the majority of early black newspapers were one-man operations, printed for the most part in white shops, and usually terminated when the owner died. The MI5/wine fe,gio is not of that mold. Its major influence, Edward L. Goodwin, WV: a businessman who reached out to bring in talented journalists. The paper also benefited from advertising success, good location, good community relations and dedication of the owner. ,E,ut now the Eagle is at a delicate point. Eight years have passed since the death of E.L. Goodwin. The family- owners have undertaken changes, but have yet to find solid management footing. The problems of the I-ogle:are typical of the black press today. Perhaps the paper has succeeded longer than most, because of greater dedication. For now, when Thursday comes to Tulsa, so does a familiar puoilcation. In the left ear is a drawing of a scroll bearing a quote from E.L. Goodwin,Sr., We make America better when we aid our people." In the right ear an eagle flies over Oklahoma.

55Interview with James Goodwin, March 21, 1986.

15 BEST COPYAVAILABLE 14

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Ammons,Lines; Dirnm;ck/ Joivreta Piowe, Joseph. "C.e.nejtWS Iktpsrts5 in a Blaa Weekly,' Journalism Quarterly, 59: 310-13 (1982). Ayer and Sons's Directory, Philadelphia, 1939, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1969, 1971. Bowen, Pony. "Eagle Investigates Prison System," Oklahoma EaglQ, July 21, 1977 Brcoks, Maxwell R. The Negro Press Reexamined, Boston: Christopher Press, 1959. Brown, Karen F. "The Black Press of Tennessee: 1865-1980," (dissertation, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, 1982). tarter, L The try of 01:f ahcma Newspapers Oklahoma Hen 'Lace A,:sociation. Western Heritage Books. Inc.. 1984. Dann, Martin E. The Black Press, 1827-1890. New York: Columbia University Press, 1971. Detweiler, Frederick G. The Negro Press in the United States. College Park, Maryland: McGrath, 1922. Duster, Alfreda M. ed. Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B. Wells. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1970. "Eagle Increase Due January 1," tiklahorne Eagle.. October 12, 1978. "Eagle 'soars' 114-page edition marks 60th birthday of black newspaper," Tulsa Tribune, Novemoer 2, 1978. Editor and Publisher Yearbook, New York, 138S. "Edward L. Goodwin," Tulsa World, September 13, 1978. Fox, Stephen R. The Guardian of Boston: William Monroe Trotter. New York: Atheneum, 1970. Franklin, Jimmie Lewis. Journey Toward Hope. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1982. Grouse, Charles William. "Black Newspapers in Texas 1868-1970," (dissertation, The University of Texas at Austin,1972). Halliburton, R. Jr., The Tulsa Race War of 1921. San Francisco: Northeastern Oklahoma State Unniversity, 1975. "History of Eagle Existence Cited on Eve of F. Opening," Oklehome fegie, April 14, 1966. Interview with Edwyna Goodwin Anderson, March 15, 1986. Interview with Jeanne Goodwin Arradondo, March 18, 1986. Interview with David Breed, March 22, 1986. Interview with Carmen Fields, March 20, 1986. Interview with E.L. Goodwin,Jr., June 13, 1986.

AVAILABLE 16 BEST COPY 15

Interview with James 0. Goodwin, March 21, 1986. Interview with Jeanne Goodwin, March 7, 1966. Interview with Robert K. Goodwin, March 14, 1986 Interview with Thelma Gorham, March 20, 1986. Interview with Eddie L. Madison, March 20, 1986. Interview with Virgil Overbea, June 23, 1986. Interview with Ethel Payne, February 14, 1986. Jack Morris, commentator, KTEW-TV, Channel 2, Tulsa, E.L. Goodwin Tribute (video copy undated). La Brie, Henry G. III, ed. Perspectives on the Black Press: 1974. Kennebunkport, Maine: Mercer House Press, 1974. ""Loneliness in the Capital: The Black Natonal Correspondent," by Ethel Payne, in Labrie, Henry G. hi, Perspectives on the Black Press: 1974. Kennebunkport, Maine: Mercer House Press, 1974. Moses, Bernadine.An Historical and Analytical View of Black Newspapers in North Carolina," (thesis, University of North Carolina, 1976). Moten, Rashey B. "The Negro Press of Kansas," (thesis, University of Kansas, 1938). Oak, Vishnu V. The Negro Newspaper. Westport, Conn.: Negro Universities Press, 1948. Ott ley, Roi The Lonely Warrior: The Life and Times of Robert S. Abbott. Chicago: Henry Regnery Co., 1955. Penn, I.Garland. Afro-American Press and Its Editors. New York: Arno Press, 1969, originally 1891. "Playing It Cool," Time, July 28, 1967. Pride, Armistead S. "A Register and History of Negro Newspapers in the United States," (dissertation, Northwestern University, 1950). "Prof's Research Uncovers Many Black Newspapers," Jet, April 8, 1985, 68. Seeman, Howard L., "Keeping the Gates at the Chicago Defender," Journalism Quarterly, 48: 275-78 (1971). Slaven, George Everett. "A History of the Missouri Negro Press," (dissertation, University of Missouri, 1969). Suggs, Henry Lewis, ed. The Black Press in.the South,i865 -1979. Westport, Conn. and London: Greenwood Press, 1983. Thornbrough, Emma Lou. T.Thomas Fortune: Militant Black Journalist. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1972. Thornton, Jeannye with Melody Harris, "Why Ethnic Press is Alive and Growing," U.S. News and World Report, October 29, 1984, 97. Troupe, Marilyn Kay. "The Voice of the People," unpublished research report, Oklahoma State University, November 25, 1976; also published in Oklahoma Eagle, November 2, 1978. "Victims of Negro Progress," Newsweek. August 26, 1963. 16

Wolseley, Roland R. The Black Press, USA. Ames, 10W8: Iowa State University Press, 1971 Wolseley, Roland E. "The Vanishing Negro Press," Negro Digest, Decemeber 1950.

18 BEST COPY AVAILABLE